Cleo Sol

Barack Obama’s (Brat) Summer Playlist Includes Fan Favorites From Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, And Shaboozey

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Former President Obama has shared his latest summer playlist, and of course, he’s all-in on Brat Summer too. This year’s list includes new fan favorites from the likes of Billie Eilish, Shaboozey, and of course, Charli XCX, but it also has quite a few throwbacks, as well. “No Diggity” from Blackstreet makes an appearance, as does “Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting” from jazz great Charles Mingus and “How Do U Want It” from the late, great Tupac Shakur.

But, a big part of Obama’s appeal has been that he’s an older guy who keeps up with the times, and as per usual, he certainly does seem to have his ear to the streets — or at least, the algorithms. From Billie Eilish’s new album, Hit Me Hard And Soft, he’s got “Chihiro”; from Charli XCX’s unlikely political favorite, “365.” Shaboozey’s J-Kwon-sampling “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is a no-brainer, as is Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby.”

However, there are also some surprises here. Rising British rapper Enny appears with her 2023 single “Charge It,” as does Saweetie’s newest single, “My Best.” R&B stars H.E.R. and Cleo Sol both appear (both songs are throwbacks from their catalogs, with “Process” and “Why Don’t You” representing their respective artists). But lest you think that golden ear is turning to tin, Tems’ “Love Me Jeje” also appears to keep things up to date.

You can see Mr. Obama’s full summer playlist below.

Cleo Sol Strikes “Gold” On Her New Album

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If you’re an R&B or soul fan in any capacity, you’re a criminal awaiting prison time if you’re sleeping on Cleo Sol. Maybe it’s not that serious, but with the way her 2023 has been shaping up so far, it will definitely be true in a couple of weeks. Moreover, the London singer just released her second album of the year so far with Gold, and it’s a lean 10-track effort. Following up her last LP Heaven, which came out just two weeks ago as of writing this article, she’s absolutely dominated the month. What’s more is that the Ladbroke Grove native’s done so with tender, crisp, and obviously soulful genre fusions that establish her as a captivating voice.

For example, cuts like “Things Will Get Better” gain an extra punch thanks to the softly sharp and jazzy drums. One thing that you can always count on when you’re going through Gold, though, is the 33-year-old’s beautiful vocals, which are as effectively sultry as they can be triumphantly soaring. However, on the signing end, this isn’t the only highlight to remark, as the background contributions also create a heavenly atmosphere. Furthermore, the opening track “There Will Be No Crying” is an excellent example of this, as the gospel fusions come across as healing. Other tracks are more sparse without losing their power, such as the constantly leading piano on “Please Don’t End It All.”

Read More: Jorja Smith’s “falling or flying” Leads The Pack On Our R&B Season Playlist Update

Cleo Sol’s Gold: Stream

Meanwhile, the “Woman” songwriter, whose work with Little Simz garnered her much acclaim, seems defiantly hopeful on the lyrical front. Many of these cuts are about heartbreak, hardship, and a strong connection to the spiritual, unseen, or mysterious for inspiration. Gold shimmers on almost all fronts, and with Cleo Sol’s discography increasing rapidly in just two weeks, we can patiently wait for the next one at her own pace while digging into the great work she already presented. If you haven’t heard this album yet, find it on your preferred streaming service and peep the tracklist below. As always, stay up to date on HNHH for more great releases in the music world each week.

Tracklist
1. There Will Be No Crying
2. Reason
3. Things Will Get Better
4. Only Love Can Wait
5. Please Don’t End It All
6. Lost Angel
7. Desire
8. In Your Own Home
9. Life Will Be
10. Gold

Read More: Little Simz Taps Cleo Sol For Smooth New Single “Selfish”

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Cleo Sol Belts Out Amazing Tracks On Her Latest Album “Heaven”

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British soul and alternative R&B musician, Cleo Sol, is back with her latest album. This is her third project and first since 2021. Her last effort, Mother, featured some of her biggest tracks such as “Promises” and “Sunshine.” For those who do not know, Cleo Sol was born on March 24, 1990, in West London, England.

On her other two releases, she has worked almost exclusively with producer, Inflo. On top of the aforementioned record, she has released two other solo studio albums. Her debut Rose in the Dark was put out in 2020. Additionally, Sol is a member of the R&B group Sault. According to Genius, she has publicly mentioned her influences which range from Stevie Wonder to Erykah Badu, and Jill Scott.

Read More: Drake, SZA, & Diddy Headline Star-Studded “R&B Season” Update

Listen To Heaven From Cleo Sol

All are some of the most soulful artists of all time, which is why those qualities are so prevalent in her music. Sol‘s newest offering, Heaven, surprisingly had no sort of lead singles. However, there was some promotion from her Instagram account in which she shared her excitement for this record. On the release day, Sol says on her IG, “My Album Heaven is out now, thank you guys for your patience and support, I pour my heart and soul into the music and it is very sacred to me, we don’t play with music, it is a gift that I am grateful to God for.” That is clear across every song here, as each track has so much attention to detail. From the live instrumentation to the heavenly production from Inflo, it is a sonically rich listen.

What are your initial thoughts on this brand new album, Heaven, from Cleo Sol? Is this the best she has put out so far in her career? Which songs are your favorite on the album so far? We want to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the hottest album releases, as well as all of the latest breaking news around the music world.

Heaven Tracklist:

  1. Self
  2. Airplane
  3. Go Baby
  4. Heaven
  5. Old Friends
  6. Miss Romantic
  7. Golden Child (Jealous)
  8. Nothing on Me
  9. Love Will Lead You There

IG Album Announcement: Look

 
 
 
 
 
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Read More: Young Thug’s First Felony Conviction Came From Current YSL Attorney

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Sault Just Dropped A Surprise New Album Out Of Nowhere Called ‘Air’

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Sault Air
Album artwork

Everything Sault has ever done has come with an aura of mystique, so dropping a new album out of nowhere should surprise nobody. Their last album, Nine, was only available for 90 days and they dropped two albums in both 2019 and 2020, including their crown jewel, Untitled (Black Is). We know that the group is largely the brainchild of British producer Inflo, who came up working with Michael Kiwanuka, Jungle, Cleo Sol, Little Simz, and most recently, producing three songs off of Adele’s 30. Sault’s first five albums have featured vocals from Sol and Monica Young (aka Kid Sister), but Air, the newest addition to the groups quickly growing discography, sounds nothing like the others.

The group purged every post from their Instagram page and then today started fresh by posting the Air album cover and then five subsequent previews of some of the album’s tracks. Everything on Air feels incredible cinematic, almost like it’s earmarked as a soundtrack for a visual component that’s yet to come. The opening track “Reality” establishes chamber orchestra-like instrumentals with a vocal chant as a motif through each of the seven tracks. The title track feels like the score of a movie where springtime is in bloom, as strings unfurl, cymbals crash and an indistinct female vocal comes in midway through the song. At the end of the fifth track, “Time is Precious,” we hear the first distinct lyrics from what pretty clearly sounds like Cleo Sol backed by a choir as she hums the song’s title in ethereal fashion. Album closer “Luos Higher” introduces spaghetti western strings and the whole album comes across like an interlude towards whatever the next step is. Whatever the next move is for Sault, it’ll certainly be a calculated one. For now, listen to Air in full below, with the album artwork in the player and the tracklist at the bottom.

1. “Reality”
2. “Air”
3. “Heart”
4. “Solar”
5. “Time Is Precious”
6. “June 55”
7. “Luos Higher”

Fans Are Going To Miss The Music Of ‘Insecure’ As Much As The Show Itself

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One of the highlights of Issa Rae’s hit HBO show Insecure was always the soundtrack, curated by Issa herself and featuring some of hip-hop and R&B’s rising stars. Fans reveled in both hearing longtime faves and getting put onto newcomers with every episode, with the show’s team sharing each episode’s tracklist as part of a growing playlist on streaming services. On Sunday night, the series finale aired, bringing the show to a close that fans are still discussing and debating on Twitter.

And while the touching finale may have sparked diverging opinions on the resolution of its lead character’s complicated love life, one thing many fans seem to agree on is that the music helped make the show. Scrolling through the “Insecure” trending topic on Twitter, you’re just as likely to see messages praising the show’s musical curation as you are ones debating various plot points throughout its five-season run.

Many of the artists featured on the soundtrack also chimed in with both praise and thanks for Issa Rae’s fan-favorite series, which many say helped introduce them to new audiences — a sentiment that fans echoed wholeheartedly. Issa herself, who always live-tweets the show right along with fans, offering background information from the writer’s room and her inspirations for the show’s setting, plot, and its plethora of jokes, even noted how some of the finale’s songs found their way into touching pivotal scenes.